Hytrol Distributor: Conveyors & Drives Inc. (Atlanta, GA)
New Conveyor System Helps Triple Capacity
When an acquisition greatly expanded the customer
base, Evenflo had to ramp up throughput-and do it fast.
For
Evenflo, babies are big business. And that business got even
bigger with the 1997 purchase of Gerry Baby Products. That acquisition
dramatically expanded the Evenflo customer base while adding significantly
to an already extensive product line.
Evenflo is one of the world's leading manufacturers
of products for babies. Its original product line included feeding products
such as breastfeeding equipment, nursers, and nipples. Over the years, the
offerings have expanded to include high chairs, strollers, and baby furniture.
The Gerry acquisition brought items such as car seats, gates, and bath products
under the Evenflo umbrella.
With that growth came a challenge for the company's
distribution center in Canton, Georgia, which handles distribution of the
feeding products and the merchandise acquired from Gerry-1,100 SKUs in total.
That challenge was to absorb a 70 percent increase in inventory and achieve
a like increase in order throughput, all while keeping the operation
running.
Evenflo met the challenge thanks in large part
to creative expansion of the existing facility and implementation of integrated
conveyor technology. Since the installation the distribution center has,
in fact, more than doubled order throughput and tripled capacity.
Two Key Objectives
Evenflo moved into its current distribution center
nearly five years ago. The complex at Canton also includes a large manufacturing
facility. The company's corporate headquarters are in Vandalia, OH.
When it came time to expand the DC in support
of the new inventory and order processing requirements, senior VP Michael
Johnson assigned Mark T. Williams, director of logistics and company materials
handling systems designer, to explore a number of options. They finally decided
that building on the system in place made the most sense both financially
and operationally. The Hytrol conveyor units that formed the heart of that
system had performed well and required little maintenance. In addition, the
distribution center had established a good working relationship with Conveyors
& Drives Inc., a Hytrol distributor based in nearby Atlanta.
Evenflo had two key objectives in upgrading the
Canton distribution center: (1) utilize the vertical cube by elevating the
conveyor system and (2) open up access to the shipping docks and the pick
modules for replenishment. Working with Conveyors and Drives Systems Group,
and utilizing Hytrol conveyor equipment, Evenflo was able to accomplish both
objectives. Just as importantly, it achieved these goals quickly and with
minimal interruption in operations. The extensive installation was completed
in under eight weeks.
To achieve the objectives, the Evenflo-Conveyors
and Drives Systems Group team took a comprehensive approach that involved
creation of new pick modules, expansion of existing modules, and adoption
of productivity-enhancing conveyor technology. Throughout the installation
period, the distribution center remained in continuous operation. Orders
were manually assembled and shipped until the project was completed.
Two new pick modules were added to the Canton
facility. These were built three levels high and featured double deep palletized
storage locations. The two existing pick modules were extended 30 feet. The
facility now has a total of ten 120' long picking lanes.
The picking lanes are simple and straightforward. Each lane has
a takeaway live roller conveyor (190-LR), which is flanked by two gravity
conveyors for assembling orders. Cartons move from the pick areas on these
live rollers (or in the case of the picking lanes on the ground floor on
an incline roller bed conveyor) to a horizontal power conveyor. This elevated
unit collects the orders as it runs and stretches the length of the building.
It then makes a 180-degree turn and enters the orders into a zero-pressure
accumulation conveyor that utilizes the Hytrol EZ Logic technology.
The EZ Logic accumulator (190-ABEZ) controls
the flow of orders as they move toward a "sawtooth merge" conveyor and on
to a high-speed sorter (QS-1). The systems work smoothly and efficiently,
regardless of the workload demand. "The EZ Logic accumulation system does
an excellent job of keeping pace with the sortation system," says Mark T.
Williams, director of logistics and distribution at the center. "It handles
everything that we throw at it."
The QS-1 sorter is key to helping Evenflo achieve
its productivity goals. Directional scanners read the label on any side of
the carton as it runs through the pre-induct. The high-speed sortation unit
then diverts the carton down the designated chute, and then on to the skatewheel
conveyors that lead to the staging and shipping areas. Eight sortation points
assure maximum flexibility and capacity.
"The new QS-1 sorter allowed us to increase our
throughput, which was the biggest challenge we faced when we absorbed all
of the inventory from Gerry Baby Products," observes Shipping Coordinator
David P. Winter.
Multiple Benefits Realized
The upgraded installation has helped the
Evenflo distribution center reach its original objectives and more. Vertical
cube space now is fully utilized with the elevated and expanded picking modules.
Ten picking lanes efficiently keep pace with order demand. Throughput capacity
has increased from 9,000 cartons per eight-hour shift to 29,000. And the
elevated configuration of the conveyors and sortation equipment has opened
up the shipping area, allowing for higher productivity and ease of
movement.
All in all, the new system has enabled distribution
center management to more effectively manage the flow of inventory and orders
throughout the facility.
The bottom line tells the whole story: Evenflo
can keep pace with a booming baby business that shows no signs of slowing
down.
Evenflo's Enhanced Distribution Center
The order fulfillment process begins in the four
multi-level pick modules. The orders move form the 12 individual picking
lanes to an elevated power conveyor that travels to the end of the building,
makes a U-turn, and then enters the cartons onto the EZLogic accumulation
conveyor. This zero pressure accumulator controls the flow of orders
as they move to the sawtooth merge conveyor and on to the high speed QS-1
sorter. The sorter swiftly diverts the cartons down one of eight chutes
to the appropriate shipping dock.
Details on the Installation
Company: Evenflo Company, Inc.
Facility: Distribution Center
Location: Canton, GA
Size: 200,000 square feet
Employees: 300 (including manufacturing)
Key personnel: Michael Johnson, Senior VP Operations; Mark T. Williams,
Director of Logistics & Distribution; David P. Winter, Shipping
Coordinator
Product Handled: Baby feeding products; baby carriers, bathtubs, baby
monitors, gates, care and feeding accessories for babies (1,100 total SKUs)
Throughput: 29,000 cartons (eight-hour shift)
Types of conveyors: Live roller, gravity, horizontal power, roller
bed incline, accumulator, saw tooth merge, high speed sorter, skatewheels
Conveyor Supplier: Hytrol Conveyor Inc., Jonesboro, AR
Systems Integrator: Conveyors & Drives, Inc., Atlanta, GA
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